Surface electromyographic activities of knee extensor in stroke patients following specific exercise program

Eighteen stroke patients with mild spasticity participated in this study. The therapeutic program was applied six times/week for six weeks. The results of this study indicated the effectiveness of this therapeutic exercise program on the spasticity level in both right and left sided hemiplegic patients with more advantageous effect on the affected side in the right sided patients. Improved EMG activity might be due to improved spasticity and central organization effect

Intensive physical therapy program in tibial lengthening with ilizarov technique

Forty female patients participated in this study and divided into two groups. During distraction phase following tibial lengthening with Ilizarov technique, group A received daily intensive physical therapy [IPT] program under direct supervision. Group B performed routine physical therapy [RPT] program. During latency phase, all patients received conventional medical and physical therapy. Predistraction and post distraction knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion AROM were recorded. Perceived pain intensity was measured with graphic pain- rating scale. During distraction, the pain level was measured indirectly through recording the mean amount of diclofenac intake per day during distraction phase. IPT group demonstrated significant larger knee and ankle AROM and less mean pain intensity during distraction phase. During this phase, the mean amount of diclofenac intake per day was significantly less in IPT than RPT group. The results showed that IPT, during distraction phase, enhanced physical therapy outcome in tibial lengthening with Ilizarov techniques

Could hip abduction splint improve paraplegic gait parameters?

Forty-two volunteer patients with a low level traumatic incomplete paraplegia and moderate spastic hip adductor muscles participated in this study and divided into two groups. Patients in both groups received therapeutic exercises. The exercise session was one and half hour. Group A consisted of 21 patients. During walking, they used hip abduction splint four times daily, each time one and half hour. Group B consisted of 21 patients. Treatment was given six times/week for eight weeks. Measurements were done for all patients before starting treatment and four hours after the last treatment session. Both step width and length were measured. The difference in step width and the step length between before and after treatment was recorded. The splint could be recommended in the treatment of such patients

Effect of manual dentistry work on stabilizing-muscles fatigue

This study was performed on 40 right-handed female dentists to investigate the effect of dentistry manual work on the fatigue level in each of upper fibers of trapezius, lower fiber of trapezius, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and extensorcarpiradialis muscles in female dentists. Paired t-test revealed that both recently [group A] and those with 7-11 years of experience [group B] were significantly fatigued. Fatigue may be attributed to a high muscular activity level of these muscles during work as a result of the nature of fine skilled movement required during this type of manual performance. Analysis of variance showed that group A was significantly higher than group B in the fatigue level. Differential relaxation, biofeedback technique and behavioral training may help in reducing the fatigue level

Role of chest wall irradiation in T2 breast cancer cases following mastectomy

This prospective study included 204 breast cancer cases with PT2 primary tumors out of 802 breast cancer cases who attended at NEMROCK over 3-year period [1993-1995]. Patients with PT2 tumors did not receive chest wall irradiation after radical or modified radical mastectomy irrespective of any risk factor according to breast unit protocol adopted in NEMROCK. The overall recurrence rate was 10.29%, a multivariate analysis was done to identify the significant predictors influencing chest wall recurrence concluded that +ve axillary lymph nodes, high tumors grade and inner quadrant site in age <35 years are significant predictors of chest wall recurrence in patients with PT2 breast cancer cases that require postoperative chest wall irradiation according to this study

Intrapleural bleomycin in the management of malignant pleural effusion

This retrospective study included 20 patients with malignant pleural effusion [MPEs], from breast and bronchogenic carcinoma who attended at NEMROCK over one-year period [1995-1996]. All patients underwent simple aspiration followed by intrapleural instillation of 60 mg bleomycine dissolved in 100 ml saline that would be repeated 2-3 times. The overall response rate was 70%. 60% had complete remission, no response was observed in 30% of the cases. The procedure is convenient and safe with low toxicity, requiring no hospitalization and can be given to immunocompromised patients and those who are under systemic chemotherapy

Utilization of By-Pass Kiln Dust in cement manufacture

In this investigation, the salty by-pass kiln dust which is produced during cement manufacture by the dry process is utilized by bending it with ordinary Portland cement. The study also determined the optimum dust content that could be admixed with Portland cement and being safe enough from the standpoint of steel corrosion initiation and at the same time has no appreciable adverse impact on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the cement. By admixing cement with the optimum dust content that the investigation disclosed will allow the utilization of larger amounts of kiln dust which saves the initial capital cost besides alleviating the atmospheric pollution that the area of each cement plant sustains